A method for measuring vibrations of an object which comprises:
- i) providing a vibration measurement apparatus which comprises:
- a) a vibration measurement device which comprises three triangular panels which are congruent to each other and have the shape of an isosceles right triangle having a 90° angled corner between two equal length edges, each panel being attached along one of its equal length edges to an equal length edge of one of the other panels and being attached along another of its equal length edges to an equal length edge of another panel, forming an orthogonal pyramidal configuration such that the three 90° angle corners meet at an apex, and wherein each triangular panel of the pyramidal configuration has an outer mirrored surface;
- b) three laser light sensors, each positioned for receiving and detecting changes of position of reflected laser light from one of the triangular panels;
- c) a laser capable of projecting a beam of laser light onto a beam splitter;
- d) a beam splitter capable of receiving a beam of laser light from the laser;
- splitting the beam of laser light into an incident beam segment and three reference beam segments;
- directing one of each of the reference beam segments onto one of each of the laser light sensors;
- directing the incident beam segment onto the apex of the vibration measurement device and reflecting a portion of the incident beam segment from the mirrored surface of each of the three triangular panels onto one of each of the laser light sensors;
- and
- e) a light measurement implement attached to each of the light sensors, which light measurement implement is capable of measuring movements of position of the reflected portions of the incident beam segment on each of the laser light sensors and comparing said movements of position with the reference beam segment directed to the corresponding sensor;
- ii) attaching the vibration measurement device to an object which is subjected to vibration, such that the apex of the device points in a direction away from the object and in a direction towards the beam splitter;
- iii) projecting a beam of laser light from the laser onto the beam splitter such that the beam splitter splits the beam of laser light into an incident beam segment and three reference beam segments, directs one of each of the reference beam segments onto one of each of the laser light sensors, and directs the incident beam segment onto the apex of the vibration measurement device such that a portion of the incident beam segment is reflected from the mirrored surface of each of the three triangular panels onto one of each of the laser light sensors;
- iv) receiving the reflected portions of the incident beam segment with each of the laser light sensors, measuring movements of position of the reflected portions of the incident beam segment on each of the laser light sensors, and comparing said movements of position with the reference beam segment directed to the corresponding sensor;
- and
- v) determining the magnitude of vibration of the object in each of three orthogonal directions by measuring the difference in movements of position between the reference beam segments and the reflected portions of the incident beam segment.